


tripped through tangled heartstrings (made a mess of all things)

by Ariesgirl666



Category: American Horror Story: Coven
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon Rewrite, F/F, Femslash, Femslash February, Friends to Lovers, Past Rape/Non-con, Rape Aftermath
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-19
Updated: 2019-02-20
Packaged: 2019-10-31 20:11:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,289
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17856194
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ariesgirl666/pseuds/Ariesgirl666
Summary: Q: What if Zoe had stayed with Madison after the assault instead of chasing after the frat boys in the pilot episode?A: The storyline would be a lot gayer, and Kyle would be a lot less dead.





	1. through the imperfections and the cracks

Madison feels a cool hand on her forehead and a blanket being pulled up around her.

“Everything’s going to be okay,” she hears Zoe whisper, her voice blurry and distorted. Madison doesn’t have the energy to cry so she stays silent, mascara-stained tears soaking the mattress.

Time doesn’t feel real, but then Zoe’s helping her down the stairs, taking most of Madison’s weight without complaint, to the empty street where Nan is waiting (because of _fucking_ course she knows) with a car. Queenie’s in the driver’s seat, because Nan can never avoid dragging her best friend into everything, and Madison is surprised when the black girl doesn’t make any quips about her disheveled, bloody state as Zoe helps her into the backseat.

“Don’t tell Cordelia,” Madison slurs into Zoe’s shoulder. She’s mostly lucid, but pretending that she isn’t seems so much easier than facing what’s happened.

“I won’t, I promise,” Zoe says, stroking her hair, and Madison hates that she has no choice but to trust her.

“Cordelia’s in her office,” Nan says. “Fiona’s asleep upstairs, but Spaulding’s awake.”

“Queenie, can you distract Spaulding?” Zoe asks, and Queenie must have nodded.

“Nan, help me get her upstairs.”

“I still don’t like you,” Nan says to Madison, draping one of her arms around the shorter girl’s shoulder and taking some of the wait off Zoe, although Zoe’s arm remains firmly around Madison’s waist.

“I still think you’re a bitch,” Madison replies, and Nan smiles.

They get her upstairs, and Nan leaves.

Madison, sitting on her bed in a ruined dress, looks at Zoe, waits for her to turn on her or laugh, but Zoe doesn’t. She just looks at her with those unnervingly clear eyes -without pity or some false attempt at understanding.

Madison waves her hand to allow Zoe to peel the dress off her and lets the taller girl help her into a long t-shirt. Zoe wipes some of the makeup off Madison’s face with a cool towel. She’s changed into sweats that she _definitely_ got from the Gap.

“This stays between us,” Madison says with a vehemence she doesn’t feel. “If you tell anyone, I’ll rip your throat out, I swear.”

Zoe smiles one of her funny little smiles. “I won’t tell, Madison. Promise.”

“We all know that bitch Nan can’t keep her mouth shut,” Madison snaps, and Zoe sits on Madison’s bed. Irrationally, Madison wants to feel the other girl’s hand in her hair again. “I bribed her with a new headset to keep her quiet. Hopefully that’ll work.”

“Why are you doing this for me?” Madison says, and fuck it, she’s crying again. She doesn’t remember how it happened, but her head is in Zoe’s lap and Zoe strokes a thumb over the line of her jaw. Madison’s asleep before she gets the answer to her question, but Zoe stays.

(nobody in Madison’s life had ever stayed before)


	2. what's that in your mirror?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zoe deals with the aftermath of that night.

“Zoe, you have a visitor,” Cordelia says, standing at the doorway. Zoe squints at her, confused. “Me?”

“Some college boy. He says he needs to talk to you. Normally I wouldn’t allow it, but…” Cordelia trails off as her eyes fall on Madison, asleep and drooling. “Is she okay?”

“We snuck out,” Zoe says. “Nothing happened, but Madison might stay in her room today. Nasty hangover, you know.”

“Mm.” Cordelia says. “Get dressed and come downstairs.”

 

Zoe pulls on a black dress and hastily runs a brush through her hair before running downstairs. Nan winks at her when she gets down, and sure enough when she gets to the door, Kyle’s there.

“Kyle,” Zoe blurts, mostly because she doesn’t know what else to say.

He looks embarrassed, probably from Queenie’s staring and Nan’s laughing. “I wanted to ask about your friend Madison. Is she okay? I’m so, so, sorry for what they did to her.”

“Outside,” Zoe hisses, closing the door behind her. Kyle stands, contrite on the porch despite the fact that he had no hand in what happened.

“I got one of their phones before he could delete the video, and I have it as evidence. I didn’t want to do anything without talkin’ to her first, though. I know some girls don’t want all the attention and the slut shaming that comes with a court case. Especially since she’s already in all the papers.”

“That’s…really thoughtful, actually,” Zoe says, surprised, and Kyle gives a hesitant little half smile that she can’t help but return. “Madison’s asleep now,” she tells him. “But I’ll ask her when she wakes up. Thank you, Kyle.” She rises on her tiptoes and kisses him on the cheek, and he smiles and blushes which is ridiculously adorable. “See ya, Zoe.” He trips on his way down the stairs ‘cause he’s still staring at her, and Zoe puts her hand to her mouth to stifle a smile. He grins back, like he did it on purpose, before walking away.

 

“You’re in love,” Nan says the moment Zoe closes the front door, and she laughs when Zoe ducks her head to hide her own blush.

“It is too early in the day to be using words like _love_ ,” Fiona interrupts, pouring a generous amount of vodka into her coffee. She frowns at the table, where Queenie is buttering bread and Nan is mixing Diet Coke with orange soda to tempt fate, probably. “Weren’t there four of you?”

“Madison’s upstairs sleeping off a hangover,” Zoe says before Nan or Queenie can say anything. Fiona’s falcon eyes focus on her, and for a second Zoe feels like blurting out the truth, but Fiona just hhmphs. “I remember being at that age.”

“What, you mean last night?” Cordelia bites, walking in with the click of efficient heels. She picks up her mother’s coffee cup, takes a sip, and starts coughing. “Mom, what the hell? It’s nine in the morning!”

Fiona takes the mug from her and snickers. “You’re such a baby, Delia.”

Cordelia scowls.


	3. see those wings you gave me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Queenie, Fiona, and Nan learn about Mme Marie Delphine LaLaurie, Zoe and Madison sneak away and get some time to themselves.

Fiona takes them out for a lesson that day. Madison picks a long dress to cover the bruises on her thighs and saunters out with the other girls, already bored. Zoe’s staring at the buildings of New Orleans in that weirdly cute, childlike way she has. Of course Nan’s already gotten lost. Madison snickers at the exasperated look on Fiona’s face as they follow the clairvoyant girl into some old French lady’s house.

“Madame LaLaurie was known especially for the tortures she inflicted on her slaves,” droned the tour guide.

“Spooky,” Madison whispers, deadpan. Queenie knocks her shoulder into Madison’s. Zoe looks around but Nan and Fiona are nowhere to be seen.

“Hey,” Zoe whispers. “Let’s get out of here.”

Madison raises an eyebrow but acquiesces. Zoe turns to Queenie but the older girl looks actually interested in the lecture, so she and Madison slip away by themselves.

 

The summer heat is welcome on Zoe’s face, no matter how much Madison bitches about it beside her. They find themselves in a curio shop, where Zoe scrutinizes crystal balls like they might actually hold some sort of witchy secrets, and Madison snorts.

“Is everything boring to you?” Zoe asks her as they walk farther into the shop.

Madison shrugs carelessly, running her fingers along a dusty old mirror and leaving track marks. “Once you’ve been to Hollywood, not much surprises you anymore.”

Zoe smirks. “Even being told you’re a witch?”

 

_“Let me go!” Madison screamed at the three albino men pinning her to the floor. The glossy headshots whipped into a whirlwind above their heads, cheap jewelry flinging itself at them. Above her, the redhaired woman in the ridiculous fur coat and black veil tutted. “Oh my dear, are you sure you can handle this one?”_

_“I’llbe fine,” the doe-eyed headmistress replied, examining Madison critically -the tear stains on her cheeks and the smudged mascara, the one stick-on nail she’d left embedded in one of the bodyguard’s cheek. “Madison, calm down. Focus on me.”  
Madison tried to spit in her face but it never left her mouth so she just lay there foaming like a rabid dog…_

 

“I was pretty cool about it. I knew I was destined for something better,” Madison retorts, winding a red silk scarf around her neck. Zoe plays with some engraved wooden beads. “What about you, Bloody Mary? Killed your boyfriend, right? He cheat on you or something?”  
Zoe’s face falls and she looks at the beads as if they’re the one asking the question. “I loved Charlie. I mean…I thought I did. I had it all planned out and it was going to be all special, but…”

“But you gave him a deadly aneurysm with the power of your magical pussy,” Madison says bluntly. She slides on a black fur wrap. “Ooh, I like this.”

Zoe’s still looking at the beads when Madison glances over at her, face crestfallen, and the shorter girl feels a sudden aching guilt. “Come try this on,” she says, tugging Zoe’s arm towards an elaborate blue ballgown that must be at least 180 years old. That makes Zoe smile as she reaches out a hand to reverently touch the lace. “No way this would fit me.”

“Oh boo-hoo, you’re flat-chested. Get over it.” _Wow, you always know the right thing to say Madison. No wonder you have so many friends._ Zoe hasn’t noticed Madison’s sudden quietness, and she’s begun to pry the dress off its hanger. Madison laughs. “You’re not really going to try it on?”  
“What, you think I shouldn’t?”  
“Of course you should! Come on, I’ll help you button it up.”  
  
The dress looks ridiculous on Zoe -it was intended for a woman that was both shorter and larger, so it pinches her around the shoulders and shows bare ankle, but it’s also practically falling down to her bellybutton. Madison laughs and takes a picture, and Zoe grabs for the phone but Madison, not weighed down by hundred-year-old lace and taffeta, dodges and escapes the dressing room.

“Don’t send that to anyone,” she hears Zoe shout through the dressing room curtain, followed by the sound of lace tearing. “Oh, shit!” Madison bursts out laughing, tripping on the hem of her long dress and crashing into a mannequin wearing black silk.

When Zoe comes out, back in her own dress, she’s giggling too. She’s got the sort of face that lights up entirely when she smiles.


	4. from deranged to divine

Madison pockets the wooden beads Zoe was staring at earlier, and shoves the red scarf into her purse as well, along with a pack of tarot cards. Even if they’re bullshit, if she can learn the scam and convince Cordelia, maybe that bitch will finally start treating her with respect.

The old man sweeping the front steps doesn’t give them a second glance as they exit the store into the bright New Orleans sunshine. Madison presses the beads into Zoe’s hand and Zoe looks at her, surprised lips parted.   
“You’re welcome,” Madison scoffs.

“You shoplifted these,” Zoe says.

“Yeah, duh.”

“Why? It’s not like you don’t have the money.”

“Habit. Stop asking me questions,” Madison snaps, and Zoe falls into a hurt silence. Madison wants to say something to break the silence, make the other girl feel better, but she’s got nothing. _God, why does she have to be so sensitive about everything? Stupid bitch,_ but it lacks the passion of her usual internal rants.

 

When they make it back to the witch bitch house, Cordelia is waiting on the front steps for them, arms crossed, expression closed off. “Have fun?”  
“I’m so sorry!” Predictably, Zoe breaks down immediately. Madison pinches her, hard, before she can mention the shoplifting.

Cordelia waits til they get to her office to really lay into them. “What part exactly, about not attracting attention, was unclear to you?”  
The authoritative click of stiletto heels announces her mother’s arrival. “In my day, witches would -”

“Oh, shut up, Grandma,” Madison snaps, and Zoe pinches _her_ this time. “Ow!”  
“I wouldn’t finish that sentence if I were you,” Fiona says, and her eyes flash dangerously at them. “You talk such hot shit Miss Montgomery, but you know what? I don’t even think you’re the next Supreme.”  
“Well you’ll have to wait and see, won’t you?” Madison snipes back, and slaps Zoe’s hand off of her before all the pinching leaves an ugly bruise. _You mean, to match the ones under your skirt?_

 

* * *

 

“Madison, you’re on tv,” Nan says when they walk in the room, without looking up from her book. The TV isn’t on. Zoe looks at Madison, but the blond bombshell just scoffs and flicks her hand to turn on the television.

_“The girl in the video has been recognized as Madison Montgomery, former movie star and —“_

Zoe stares, horrified. The video of the frat boys raping drugged, helpless Madison continues to play on Channel 7. Madison sets her jaw and clenches her fist and the tv collapses inwards as if its been punched. Madison stares at the tangle of wires and plastic until they catch fire. Zoe hesitantly puts her hand on her shoulder, and Madison doesn’t seem to notice, so she leaves it there. Her eyes are glassed-over, trancelike and full of tears. “Nan, could you -,” Zoe makes a gesture that indicates leaving. Nan rolls her eyes. “Sure, whatever,” she mumbles, and stomps off petulantly.

 

Zoe persuades Madison to come upstairs with her and change. Zoe has to manually undress the other girl, as gently as possible, but Madison merely stands in a dreamlike state. Zoe helps her into the bath, kneeling beside the other girl, warm water soaking through her dress.

She slips her hand into Madison’s and Madison glances at her, startled, and tugs her hand away.

“Sorry,” Zoe mutters, and Madison doesn’t reply.


End file.
